Ebdon glory as Ding finally runs out of steam

Peter Ebdon knocked defending champion Ding Junhui out of the Maplin UK Championship in York to set up a semi-final meeting with John Higgins.

Ebdon, the 2002 world champion, claimed a 9-5 victory as Ding's jet-setting lifestyle finally caught up with him.

Winner of a hat-trick of gold medals at last week's Asian Games in Qatar, the Chinese teenager was competing for the ninth day out of 10, the other spent flying 3,000 miles from Doha to travel to York.

Unsurprisingly, he was unable to reproduce the form he showed against Ryan Day and Matthew Stevens in the opening rounds as Ebdon led 6-2 after the first session.

A fightback looked on the cards when Ding hauled himself back to 6-5 down, only to lose the next frame on a re-spotted black.

As Ding sat in his chair with his head bowed, clearly exhausted, Ebdon completed his triumph in style with a break of 99.

He said: "This is a massive win for me. I've been working very hard for this tournament.

"I've been saying for four years just how special a player Ding is.

"I think there were glimpses of that in the match.

"But the schedule he has had over the last couple of weeks is incredible. I'm just so pleased to win because I've practised so much against him over the last four years and I know what he's capable of."

Higgins, another former world champion, swept into the last four with a 9-3 demolition of Joe Perry.

The two-time former UK title winner led 7-1 after the first session and, although Perry made a century break in two of the frames he won, he had no answer to Higgins' potting prowess.

A break of 128 by Perry which brought it back to 8-2 merely delayed the inevitable and, although the world No 19 also took the next frame, Higgins wrapped it up with an effort of 106.

He s ai d : "It could easily have been 4-4 after the first session because Joe missed three or four good chances.

"But I managed to clear up and that's what won me the match, a few clearances under pressure."